\n\n\n\n\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n
Three years ago, I had no choice but to leave. Cancer had stolen my strength, my hair, my ability to care for my child. Nathan had assured me it was temporary, that Hazel would stay with him only until I got better.\n\n\n\n
I’d believed him. But as the months stretched on, treatments drained me, and visits grew harder.\n\n\n\n
The first time I saw Hazel after surgery, she looked at me like I was a stranger.\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWhat happened to you?\u201d she whispered.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n My heart cracked, but I smiled. \u201cI got sick, baby. But I\u2019m better now.\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a lot for her,\u201d Nathan murmured. \u201cShe needs time.\u201d\n\n\n\n At first, Hazel sent letters\u2014little notes filled with drawings of suns and cats.\n\n\n\n “I love you, Mommy,” she had scribbled in crayon.\n\n\n\n But the notes became fewer. Calls dwindled. Excuses piled up.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s at practice.\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s with her friends.\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s busy with school.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n Then the silence came. No more letters. No more calls. Just an empty inbox and a phone that never rang.\n\n\n\n Then, during one of my lowest points in recovery, an envelope arrived. No letter, no explanation. Just legal documents.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n Nathan had moved on. Found someone else.\n\n\n\n I could still remember the way my hands trembled as I unfolded the papers, my vision blurring as I scanned the words. Divorce. Custody arrangements. Full guardianship was granted to him.\n\n\n\n I had barely finished chemotherapy, still too weak to fight. He had convinced the courts it was in Hazel\u2019s best interest\u2014stability, routine, a household without the uncertainty of a sick mother. And so, just like that, he got what he wanted.\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n I signed the papers with a heavy heart. My lawyer assured me I would have weekends with Hazel, that I would still be part of her life. But weekends were not enough. I wanted her back, I wanted my daughter to know that I never left her by choice.\n\n\n\n But finally, I was back. I had won my battle, healed, and fought my way there. I climbed the porch steps. Before I could knock, the door swung open.\n\n\n\n Nathan’s new wife, Sara, stood there, perfect. Cool, composed. The woman who had stepped into my place.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n I forced my voice to stay steady. \u201cI\u2019m here to pick up Hazel.\u201d\n\n\n\n Sara tilted her head slightly, lips curving into a small, pitying smile. \u201cEvelyn\u2026 I thought Nathan called you.\u201d\n\n\n\n My stomach twisted. \u201cCalled me about what?\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s not here. Nathan took her to the fair.\u201d\n\n\n\n The fair? My pulse spiked.\n\n\n\n \u201cBut today is my day.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Sara let out a slow breath. \u201cEvelyn\u2026 she doesn\u2019t want to go.\u201d\n\n\n\n I stiffened. \u201cThat\u2019s not true.\u201d\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n \u201cShe doesn\u2019t ask about you anymore. She calls me Mom now.\u201d\n\n\n\n The world tilted. No. My baby couldn\u2019t forget me.\n\n\n\n Before Sarah could say another word, I rushed back to my car. I had to find her. I had to bring her back to me.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n ***\n\n\n\n The fair buzzed with life. The scent of caramel apples and roasted nuts filled the crisp evening air, wrapping around me like a memory I couldn\u2019t quite hold. Children shrieked with laughter, carousel lights flickered in a blur, and music played from some nearby stall. But I didn\u2019t hear any of it.\n\n\n\n I was there for one reason.\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n “Where is she?” I muttered under my breath, my eyes darting frantically.\n\n\n\n Every little girl in a colorful jacket, every flash of light brown hair sent my pulse racing.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n “Come on, Hazel. Where are you?”\n\n\n\n\n My chest tightened with every step. Hazel had to be there. Sara had lied\u2014I knew it. Nathan wouldn\u2019t just take her away from me today of all days.\n\n\n\n A cold sweat prickled my skin. They weren\u2019t here. No. No, I refused to believe it. I took a shaky breath, but before I could move, someone crashed into me.\n\n\n\n “Watch it!” a vendor snapped as I stumbled against his stall. A bright red drink spilled down my hands. Sticky. Too sweet.\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n I barely heard the man\u2019s grumbling. “Sorry.”\n\n\n\n Then, I saw her. Hazel. Standing a short distance away, clutching Nathan\u2019s hand.\n\n\n\n “Hazel!”\n\n\n\n\n She looked up at me, eyes wide.\n\n\n\n “Baby, it\u2019s me!” I took a step forward, every inch of me screaming to scoop her into my arms, but she didn\u2019t run to me. She didn\u2019t smile. She just\u2026 stared.\n\n\n\n Suddenly, I noticed the stares. People were looking at me like I was…\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n A breeze brushed my scalp. Oh God! My wig. It was gone.\n\n\n\n Hazel\u2019s grip on Nathan\u2019s sleeve tightened. Her small fingers curled into his jacket. Her lip trembled.\n\n\n\n I reached out. “Sweetheart, it\u2019s okay…”\n\n\n\n She flinched. Then, in a small, broken voice, she whispered,\n\n\n\n “You\u2019re not my mom. You\u2019re just a bald lady.”\n\n\n\n\n The words sliced through me like a blade. I sucked in a breath, but it wasn\u2019t enough. My world tilted. My own daughter didn\u2019t recognize me.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n ***\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n I sat on the floor of my dimly lit apartment, my back against the cold wall, clutching Hazel\u2019s old stuffed teddy bear. My eyes burned as I rocked slightly, my mind replaying the moment at the fair.\n\n\n\n You\u2019re not my mom. You\u2019re just a bald lady. How did it come to this?\n\n\n\n I once knew everything about my daughter: her favorite bedtime stories, the way she liked her sandwiches, and the songs she hummed absentmindedly. But now, she looked at me like a stranger.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n I reached for a small shoebox, pulling out the handmade cards she had once sent me. My fingers trembled as I traced her childish handwriting.\n\n\n\n “I love you, Mommy!”\n\n\n\n “I can’t wait to see you!”\n\n\n\n “You\u2019re the best!”\n\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n When did that stop? When did she stop loving me?\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Desperate, I grabbed my laptop, scrolling aimlessly until my breath caught. A post from her school. Art contest. My heart pounded as I clicked.\n\n\n\n Then, I saw it. Hazel\u2019s submission. A sky full of stars. My fingers hovered over the screen.\n\n\n\n It was our story. The one I had told her every night before bed: a little girl lost her mother but found her way home by following the stars. She begged me to tell it again and again, always asking for new details, new adventures. But the ending never changed. Love always brought her back.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n A spark of hope ignited inside me. She hadn\u2019t forgotten. Not completely.\n\n\n\n I grabbed my phone and dialed my friend. \u201cI need you. We have two days to prepare.\u201d\n\n\n\n ***\n\n\n\n The school auditorium was packed. Parents whispered, teachers shuffled papers, and students fidgeted in their seats. I stood in the shadows near the entrance, my heart hammering. That was it. My last chance.\n\n\n\n I scanned the audience until my eyes locked on the front row. Hazel sat beside Sara, their hands intertwined. My little girl had no idea what was coming.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Will she remember? Will she even care?\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n The lights dimmed. A hush fell over the room. The screen flickered to life. Hazel’s giggle filled the speakers. Gasps rippled through the audience. On the screen, a younger Hazel sat on the kitchen counter, flour dusting her cheeks.\n\n\n\n “Mommy, look! I made a smiley face!”\n\n\n\n\n I laughed in the video, brushing flour off her nose.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n “It\u2019s the cutest cookie I\u2019ve ever seen!”\n\n\n\n Clip after clip played. Us on the beach, the wind tangling her curls as I spun her in my arms.\n\n\n\n “Higher, Mommy! Higher!”\n\n\n\n Then, autumn leaves crunching beneath our feet.\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n “More leaves, Mommy! More!”\n\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n The auditorium was silent. Hazel sat frozen, her fingers slipping from Sara\u2019s hand. Then, the next images appeared. Letters. One by one, envelopes filled the screen, each addressed to Hazel in my handwriting. Then my voice filled the room.\n\n\n\n “Hi, my love. It\u2019s Mommy.”\n\n\n\n\n Hazel stiffened. The letters kept appearing, my voice playing over them.\n\n\n\n “I miss you so much. I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re reading these, sweetheart. Maybe they never reach you. But I\u2019ll keep writing anyway. I\u2019ll never stop.”\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n Hazel\u2019s breath hitched. Sara\u2019s face went pale. Hazel turned to her.\n\n\n\n “Where\u2026 where are these letters?”\n\n\n\n\n Sara opened her mouth, but no words came.\n\n\n\n Hazel\u2019s voice rose. “Why didn\u2019t I get them?”\n\n\n\n “I\u2026 I didn\u2019t want to upset you.”\n\n\n\n “So you hid them?”\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Sara hesitated. “I thought it was better this way.”\n\n\n\n A painful silence filled the room. Hazel let go of Sara\u2019s hand.\n\n\n\n “You thought it was better to keep my mom away?”\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n Hazel pulled away, her eyes welling with tears. She turned, searching the room. Then she saw me.\n\n\n\n For a moment, neither of us moved. Then, she ran.\n\n\n\n I barely had time to open my arms before she threw herself into them, gripping my coat like I might disappear.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n “Mom\u2026” she whispered.\n\n\n\n Tears streamed down my face as I cradled her.\n\n\n\n “I never left you,” I murmured. “I never stopped loving you.”\n\n\n\n Hazel trembled. “I thought you forgot about me. And Sara\u2026 she was kind. She took care of me. She told me you could die. And then the letters stopped.”\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n “I painted the stars, Mom. Just like in our stories.”\n\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n I cupped her face, wiping her tears. “Oh, honey. I completely recovered. I\u2019m here.”\n\n\n\n A voice from the stage broke the silence.\n\n\n\n “Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer said. “Tonight, we\u2019ve witnessed a moment of love, of reunion. And coincidentally, the winning piece in this year\u2019s contest reflects that same beautiful theme.”\n\n\n\n A murmur swept through the audience. Hazel turned to the stage, her teary eyes wide.\n\n\n\n “The first-place winner for this year\u2019s art contest is Hazel,” the announcer continued. “For her breathtaking painting, Following the Stars\u2014a piece inspired by bedtime stories shared with her mother.”\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n I smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my daughter\u2019s ear.\n\n\n\n “You did it, baby. Just like I always knew you would.”\n\n\n\n\n Nathan rose from his seat, his expression unreadable. Slowly, he walked toward us. For a long moment, he simply looked at Hazel in my arms. Then he exhaled.\n\n\n\n “I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought she needed stability. But I see now\u2026 she just needed you.”\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Advertisement\n\n\n\n Hazel turned to him. “Can I go home with Mommy?”\n\n\n\n His jaw tensed, but after a moment, he nodded. “Yes, sweetheart. You can.”\n\n\n\n Sara sat frozen, her perfect composure shattered. But none of that mattered anymore. I lifted Hazel into my arms, holding her the way I had longed to for so many years.\n\n\n\n A mother\u2019s love is like the stars. It\u2019s always there, even when unseen. And that night, my little girl had finally found her way home.\n\n\n\n For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney\n\n\n\n Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.\n\n\n\n If you enjoyed this story, read this one: I sold everything I had and bought a one-way ticket to reunite with my first love. But fate had other plans. A heart attack mid-flight brought me to a town where I had to choose: give up or take the longest road to love. Read the full story here.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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